Mammoth Book Of The World Cup

Author: Nick Holt
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 147211051X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 544

Book Description
An all-encompassing, chronological guide to football's World Cup, one of the world's few truly international events, in good time for the June 2018 kick-off in Russia. From its beginnings in 1930 to the modern all-singing, all-dancing self-styled 'greatest show on Earth', every tournament is covered with features on major stars and great games, as well as stories about some less celebrated names and quirky stats and intriguing essays. Holt's focus is very much on what takes place on the field, rather than how football is a mirror for economic corruption, or how a nation's style of play represents a profound statement about its people, or how a passion for football can lift underpaid, socially marginalised people out of poverty. From the best World Cups, in 1958 and 1970, to the worst, in 1962 and 2010, he looks behind the facts and the technical observations to the stories: the mysterious sins of omission; critical injuries to key players; and coaching U-turns. He explains how England's World Cup achievements under Sven-Göran Eriksson, far from being a national disgrace, were actually quite impressive, and looks at why Alf Ramsey didn't take Bobby Charlton off in 1970, but this is no parochial, jingoistic account. The book also asks why Brazil did not contribute in 1966, despite having won the previous two tournaments and going on to win the next one? Why the greatest players of their day did not always shine at the World Cup - George Best and Alfredo Di Stefano, for example, never even made it to the Finals. Why did Johann Cruyff not go to the 1978 World Cup? And why did one of Germany's greatest players never play in the World Cup? There are lots of tables, some filled with obvious, but necessary information, but others with more quirky observations. Alongside accounts of epic games, there are also brief biographies of all the great heroes of the World Cup.

The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction

Author: Mike Ashley
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 184901535X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 677

Book Description
Here are 25 stories of science fiction that push the envelope, by the biggest names in an emerging new crop of high-tech futuristic SF - including Charles Stross, Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Peter Hamilton and Neal Asher. High-tech SF has made a significant comeback in the last decade, as bestselling authors successfully blend the super-science of 'hard science fiction' with real characters in an understandable scenario. It is perhaps a reflection of how technologically controlled our world is that readers increasingly look for science fiction that considers the fates of mankind as a result of increasing scientific domination. This anthology brings together the most extreme examples of the new high-tech, far-future science fiction, pushing the limits way beyond normal boundaries. The stories include: "A Perpetual War Fought Within a Cosmic String", "A Weapon That Could Destroy the Universe", "A Machine That Detects Alternate Worlds and Creates a Choice of Christs", "An Immortal Dead Man Sent To The End of the Universe", "Murder in Virtual Reality", "A Spaceship So Large That There is An Entire Planetary System Within It", and "An Analytical Engine At The End of Time", and "Encountering the Untouchable."

The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games .

Author: Wesley So
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1472146212
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 816

Book Description
Improve your chess by studying the greatest games of all time, from Adolf Anderssen's 'Immortal Game' to Magnus Carlsen's world championship victories, and featuring a foreword by five-times World Champion Vishy Anand. This book is written by an all-star team of authors. Wesley So is the reigning Fischer Random World Champion, the 2017 US Champion and the winner of the 2016 Grand Chess Tour. Michael Adams has been the top British player for the last quarter of a century and was a finalist in the 2004 FIDE World Championship. Graham Burgess is the author of thirty books, a former champion of the Danish region of Funen, and holds the world record for marathon blitz chess playing. John Nunn is a three-time winner of both the World Solving Championship and the British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award. John Emms is an experienced chess coach and writer, who finished equal first in the 1997 British Championship and was chess columnist of the Young Telegraph. The 145 greatest chess games of all time, selected, analysed, re-evaluated and explained by a team of British and American experts and illustrated with over 1,100 chess diagrams. Join the authors in studying these games, the cream of two centuries of international chess, and develop your own chess-playing skills - whatever your current standard. Instructive points at the end of each game highlight the lessons to be learned. First published in 1998, a second edition of The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games in 2004 included an additional twelve games. Another new edition in 2010 included a further thirteen games as well as some significant revisions to the analysis and information regarding other games in earlier editions of the book, facilitated by the use of a variety of chess software. This 2021 edition, further updated and expanded, now includes 145 games. The authors have made full use of the new generation of chess analysis engines that apply neural-network based AI.

The Mammoth Book Of Southern Gothic Romance

Author: Trisha Telep
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1472110773
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 573

Book Description
Set in a lush, steamy world of ceaseless rain, swamps, alligators, overgrown cemeteries, and home-grown magic, these are dark and scary, yet pleasurably thrilling stories that unfold sinister secrets at every turn. These paranormal, suspenseful Southern Gothic romances are by both bestselling authors and bright up-and-coming talents, including Jill Archer, Sonya Bateman, Amanda Bonilla, Angie Fox, J. D. Horn, Elle Jasper, Erin Kellison, Laurie London, Shawntelle Madison, Bec McMaster, Hadley Monroe, Dianne Sylvan, Jessa Slade, Shelli Stevens, Tiffany Trent and Shiloh Walker.

The Mammoth Book of Air Disasters and Near Misses

Author: Paul Simpson
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1780338295
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 603

Book Description
An incredible 30,000 flights – at least – arrive safely at their destinations every day. But a handful don’t, while some come terrifyingly close to crashing. When even the smallest thing does go wrong at 35,000 feet, the result is nearly always a fast-unfolding tragedy. This extensive collection of compelling real-life accounts of air disasters and near-disasters provides a sobering, alternative history of the just over 105 years that passengers have been travelling by air, from the very earliest fatality to recent calamities. But there are incredible stories of heroism against the odds, too, such as that of Captain Chesley Sullenberger who successfully landed his aircraft with both engines gone on the Hudson River in New York, saving the lives of everyone aboard, and of the American Airlines crew who prevented terrorist Richard Reid from exploding a bomb hidden in his shoe three months after 9/11. The book also details the often ingenious, always painstaking work done by air-accident investigators, while a glossary helps to clarify the occasional, inevitable bits of jargon.

The Mammoth Book of Boys Own Stuff

Author: Jon E. Lewis
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1780332769
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 455

Book Description
Step 1: Turn off the TV, the PC, the PS3, the Wii... Step 2: Open up The Mammoth Book of Boy's Own Stuff and get into boyhood like it's meant to be ... A guide to life, the universe and pretty much everything The Mammoth Book of Boy's Own Stuff is full of fun as well as important facts on how to be top and an all round great person - from essential Latin to making your own volcano, from SAS survival skills to basic movie making. Read about heroes of war and exploration, find out how to make secret ink, check ALL the capitals of the world, learn and adhere to the 10 virtues, discover the means to make your brain go faster. There are even stories by such cool writers as Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice 'Tarzan' Burroughs. Amaze your friends, impress your teachers (and even girls)! And included for no extra cost - the world's official funniest joke. 100% guaranteed against boredom!! Contents include: SAS Survival Skills; 10 Books Every Boy Should Read before Age 12; How to make invisible ink; Comic Book Superheroes, Villains and Their Inventors; A Boy Hero: Jack Travers VC; The World's 12 Decisive Battles; The Plains Indians of America; How to perform a banana kick; and much much more ...

The Mammoth Football Quiz Book

Author: Nick Holt
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1472137620
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 613

Book Description
A truly mammoth football quiz book covering over twenty years of the Premier League and the entire history of the beautiful (and sometimes not so beautiful) game. All the major international tournaments are covered, as well as the full history of the domestic game, both recent and historical - even grandad can show off! Nick Holt has compiled a satisfyingly hefty and wonderfully challenging collection of 3,000 questions, arranged in quizzes of varying difficulty and subject matter covering the games that mattered, the personalities, the controversies, the goals and the glory. SAMPLE QUESTIONS It wasn't until 2007 that a South American player scored a Premier League hat-trick; who scored three in a 5-3 derby win over Wigan Athletic in December that year? There have been some noticeably bad-tempered Merseyside derbies in the Premier League era; which Everton player saw red at Goodison Park in December 2005, and again in October, 2007? Which two uncapped overseas players were the captains of Manchester City and Portsmouth respectively for the 2004-05 season? Germany 1, England 5: Who let in five goals for the only time in his international career? Italia 90: Who was the unlikely scorer of the game's only goal when England beat Egypt 1-0 in a group match of bewildering tedium? Italia 90: Defeat by which country in their opening match cost Scotland a chance of progressing past the group stage for the first time?

The Fastest Show on Earth

Author: Chicane
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1472110528
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 422

Book Description
In the quest for ultimate speed, Formula One combines human drama, cutting-edge technological innovation and high-stakes finance in a thrilling global circus watched by half a billion avid fans. The Fastest Show on Earth brings the FIA Formula One World Championship vividly to life for everyone from first-time race-goers to avid fans wanting to delve even further into the Fastest Show on Earth. Experts from within the industry share their insights into the effect that recent revolutionary changes to regulations have had on engines, tyres, brakes, aerodynamics, fuel, safety and the use of data in a whole new era of racing. Races, rule changes and drivers are brought up to date in a comprehensive guide to the world's most viewed sport. This book is a superb technical guide, including circuit diagrams, team histories, driver profiles and a comprehensive glossary that offers fascinating insights into the inner workings of a world that offers everything from tragedy to thrilling triumph. From the cut-throat intrigue of the Piranha Club to the unsung heroism of pit lane, every aspect of Formula One is covered in compelling detail. Much more than just a sport and far more than a business, Formula One is a world of larger-than-life personalities and razor-sharp business people. The book also offers a window into the new Liberty Media regime and what the future may hold for the sport under new ownership. This extensive guide includes the official FIA circuit diagrams, team histories, driver profiles, circuit facts, technical braking profiles, a special section on the history of Formula One in the US and the most comprehensive glossary of Formula One terms ever compiled.

The Mammoth Book of the Funniest Cartoons of All Time

Author: Geoff Tibbals
Publisher: Running PressBook Pub
ISBN: 9780786718313
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 520

Book Description
A compendium of 450 top-selected cartoons from around the world includes pieces by such artists as Peter Arno, Posy Simmonds, and Charles Addams and is thematically arranged under such headings as Sport, Sex, and the Long Arm of the Law, in a volume complemented by brief artist biographies. Original.

A History of the World Cup

Author: Clemente A. Lisi
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 153810833X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 577

Book Description
There is no sporting event more popular than the World Cup. For one month every four years, billions of people around the world turn their attention to the tournament. Fans call in sick to work, pack into bars to watch games, or stay home for days at a time glued to their TV sets. In A History of the World Cup: 1930-2018, Clemente A. Lisi chronicles this international phenomenon, providing vivid accounts of individual games from the tournament's origins in 1930 to modern times. In addition, the book features statistics for each competition, photos, and profiles of the most memorable—and controversial—figures of the sport, including Diego Maradona, Juste Fontaine, Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Miroslave Klose, and Pelé. This new edition includes coverage of the FIFA corruption scandal, the use of video technology, a profile of 2018 Golden Ball winner Luka Modric, revised statistical information, and memorable moments from the 2018 tournament. Comprehensive yet highly readable, A History of the World Cup is a wonderful book for fans of the beautiful game.